Last week I designed three shoes inspired by my favorite fall trends. So this week I’ve used the Open Runway Design Studio to create three handbags based off my favorite fall handbag trends.

Snake

Snakeskin is everywhere this fall, from shoes to handbags and even printed on sunglasses and blouses. A snakeskin handbag adds a touch of luxury to any outfit. My favorite looks are paired with jeans to take a casual look from bland to grand!

I love this Copper Snake embossed bag accented with Nude Leather. I chose our Slouchy Hobo silhouette for a youthful shape that is great for the weekends or work.

Satchels

Satchels sprinkled the fall runways and it makes sense why. These utilitarian bags have been reinvented in a feminine way and are easy to carry, even after stuffed to the brim. Satchels big and small are sure to be a staple in many wardrobes this fall.

This satchel is doubly on trend in a Café Croc embossed leather. I chose one of my favorite silhouettes the Downtown Side Satchel to create this bag.

Metallic

Metallic bags are back and more popular than ever. Whether in classic gold or silver or the more muted tones of pewter and bronze, metallic handbags are a perfect go with everything accessory. These bags are sure to be an everyday staple.

This Tasseled Tote in Vintage Silver has a slight texture to its sheen. I would take this bag everywhere, whether it be to the mall, the airport, or the office.

How would you design a handbag for fall? Tell us in the comments.

Normally I am a flats girl. Being sort of tall and living in a city with the worst sidewalks ever has made me this way. But my experiences at Open Runway have converted me to a heel lover –  or at least a coveter.  I can’t help but be excited for all the high heel trends for fall! So I narrowed down my top three favorite looks and designed them in our Open Runway Design Studio.

Bright Suede

Bright colors are in this summer but they are here to stay for fall. I love the pairing of the autumnal material of suede with vibrant sunny colors. It’s the perfect mix of softness and warmth, what fall is to me!

These bright cobalt platform pumps with ruffle counter detailing are perfect for peeking out from jeans or brightening up a classic LBD.

Animal Prints

This fall is all about channeling your wild side whether it be in leopard, zebra, snake, or crocodile print. Animal prints add texture and dimension to any outfit, so get ready to show your stripes (or spots) this fall.

These nude snake sling backs are subtle yet fierce at the same time!

Big Bows

Nothing is more feminine and fun than a bow! Whether in a bright or neutral they are the perfect embellishment for a pump and make any outfit primly pretty.

These cognac neutral shoes with a black bow are refined and charming and add the perfect feminine touch.

What shoe trends are you most excited to rock this fall? Let us know in the comments.

After being at Open Runway for a week, I’ve learned a lot of new terminology revolving around shoes. So today I am going to share with you some of what I’ve learned (complete with visuals) because seriously, shoes are complicated.

Firstly a shoe is made on a last, which is like a fake wooden or plastic foot. The last changes depending on the heel height, the toe shape and the size of the shoe, so a 4 inch heel height on a size 7 shoe will be made on a different last than a 3.5 inch heel height, size 9 shoe. Basically to make a full range of shoes you need a lot of lasts!

Plastic Shoe Lasts

Image Courtesy of GCBooster

There are many parts of a shoe, you probably already know about the heel and the insole, but did you know the front of a shoe is called a vamp and the back is called the counter! In this example the shoe is peep toed but if it were a closed toed pump the front would be called a toe box.

I wasn’t kidding when I said shoes were complicated! Thankfully knowing all these terms is not necessary to create a pair of shoes using our design studio. I have spent a lot of time designing shoes and handbags on the site and it is so fun; I can’t wait until all of you get to experience the joy that is openrunway.com! Get excited for our site launch at the end of the month!

Open Runway Love,

Andrea

Do you love shoes as much as we do?

Tell us about your favorite pair for a chance to win $100!

On Tuesday, October 26th, the Open Runway team took their operation on the road to Northeastern University. The purpose of the trip was to tap into the minds of Northeastern University’s MBA Marketing Club and generate some creative and low cost marketing ideas for Open Runway’s launch strategy.

Monika Desai, our CEO, opened up the event with a brief introduction about Open Runway and our mission to open up the runway and democratize the world of fashion. From there, the Marketing Club broke up into groups to brainstorm. This was no easy feat, but the bright minded Marketing Club at Northeastern was up to the task.

Here are some of the ideas that came out of the groups:

Group 1:  Reach out to magazine editors and bloggers and offer them a free opportunity to design their own shoes on Open Runway. Once they realize how much fun it is they’ll just have to tell the world right?

Group 2:  Crowdsource a viral video with Geniusrocket.com. An Open Runway viral video? We love that idea –  especially the crowdsouricng part!

Group 3:  Target a few influential haul vloggers. With these futuristic fashionistas racking up somewhere in the area of 8 bajillion views, how could we go wrong?

Group 4:  Do a local marketing push by targeting local Boston magazines like Stuff at Night, and events such as  Shecky’s Girls Night Out and Fashionably Late Thursdays. We think a local marketing strategy is a great way to get some love from Boston and get Open Runway off the ground.

Group 5: Partner with fashion design schools. Professors can incorporate Open Runway into their curriculum by having students design their own shoes with our design tool as part of a graded assignment. Stylish and educational? We like that!

We had a lot of fun and are looking forward to putting some of these ideas to work as we launch.   We’d like to thank Lynne Sarikas, the MBA Career Center Director, for helping us facilitate the event at Northeastern. We’d also like to thank Katherine Baroutgian and the Northeastern MBA Marketing Club for their time and feedback.

Have some ideas you’d like to share? We’d love to hear them!

Here are some photos from the event.

Today we’re excited to share with you an interview we did with local fashion designer Kristina Kozak. While Kristina’s preparing her Spring/Summer 2011 collection, she took a quick timeout to answer a few questions. So check out the interview and some of Kristina’s design’s, we promise you’ll fall in love with these heels!

First things first, how and when did you get into the wonderful world of shoe design?

Momma's Old Disco Platforms

“Well, I’ve been interested in shoes since I can remember and I had always dreamt of designing my own but I never knew it was actually possible.  It wasn’t until I worked at Louis Boston, where I was exposed to beautiful, almost art-like footwear and clothing, that I knew I had to find a way to design and make my own.  I found a class in New York City so every weekend I would travel to take classes with Emily Putterman.  She taught me everything there is to know.  Originally it was just for fun, but after I made my first pair I knew it was what I wanted to do.  That was in 2004 and I’ve been designing ever since.”

Having your own shoe line in this day and age is pretty impressive, how did you go about accomplishing that?

Lucky Stripe Pump

“Thank you…  It’s been quite an interesting and enlightening journey!  I didn’t follow the traditional route of going to fashion school and/or interning for a designer so I knew I really had to be resourceful.  I did as much research as possible and then contacted everyone I could think of in the Boston area and tried to set up a meeting with them.  I picked their brain and soaked up as much advice and knowledge as I could.  I volunteered my time, worked for free, attended shoe shows and events where I learned and also networked.  Those contacts combined with endless research and determination helped get me to where I am today.”

Your shoes are very bold and anything but ordinary, where do you get your inspiration from when designing them?

“My mom says I can find beauty in a pile of junk… so I guess that’s a big part of how I see things and it becomes reflected in my designs.

In a nutshell, I find inspiration from everything!  Walking around the city, people watching, pieces of artwork, architecture, nature, old films and music never fail to provoke great design ideas.  I know it sounds a bit cliché, but I truly believe beauty can be found in all that surrounds us.  There is so much wonder in the world if you just open your eyes and allow yourself to see it.”

Red Python Sandal

We agree, the world is a beautiful place. You mentioned you were working on Spring/Summer 2011 collection what can we expect to see?

“For Spring/Summer 2011 you’ll find my signature fun, quirky designs. The collection will feature a mix of high heels, kitten heels, and ballet flats in a variety of bold black and white patterns, neutral tones and bronze metallics, crystal and grommet embellishments, bow ties, and beautiful textured python leathers.”

Now that you’re working on your Spring/Summer 2011 collection what’s a typical day like for you?

Cravatta a Farfalla

“I wish there was such a thing as a “typical” day! But no such luck.  The responsibilities for each day vary so every day is always different and brings it’s own challenges and opportunities along with it.  Since it’s a small company I’m in charge of everything from designing to marketing to selling to shipping to contacting stores and replying to customers.”

Wow, it sounds like you’ve got your hands full. Out of all the shoes you have designed do you have a pair that is your favorite or a pair that is your ‘Sistine Chapel’ so to speak?

Gold Minx 4" Heels

“This is a hard question to answer because all of my shoes are so different from one another.  Plus they are like children.  I love them all!  But if I had to pick it would be the Gold Minx – 4” metallic gold Mary Janes decorated with mink tails on the back strap and a silk magenta ribbon closure.  They were the first pair I ever made.  After making them I realized that I had to follow my dream of designing shoes.”

Your shoes are absolutely adorable where can we find them?

“You can find my entire collection on my website (http://www.kristinakozak.com).  Around the end of April 2011 they will be available at selected small boutiques such as Stel’s on Newbury Street in Boston and Surfaces in Marblehead, MA.”

Is there anything else you would like to add?

“Thank you so much for including me on your Open Runway Blog!  It’s been wonderful to discuss my upcoming Spring/Summer collection.  If anyone has any other questions or wants more information about my shoes you can contact me at kkozak@kristinakozak.com.”

The pearls of Boston’s fashion scene were undoubtedly on display at the Rising Design Fashion Show that took place Thursday September 30th. The show was part of Boston’s Fashion Week and featured 5 local up-and-coming fashion designers. Rising Design is a collaborative effort to support emerging local fashion designers. The aim is to promote and celebrate design in the greater Boston area. I snapped some photos with my phone to give you an idea of what these beautiful pieces looked like (please excuse the poor quality of the images it was the best I could do!).

Rain Micro-Striped Dress by Marlon Costa

The first collection of the night was from a designer by the name of Marlon Costa. Marlon, a native of Brazil, often uses his heritage for inspiration and this collection was no different. The collection named She, the Rain was “a romantic and modern collection inspired by the Modernist Art Movement from the 1950′s.” A highlight of the collection was this structured, draped knee-length dress in rain micro-stripes.

Purple Floral Print Dress by Margaret Lawrence

After Marlon, Margaret Lawrence showcased her delicious “Plum Poseys” collection. The pieces were sexy yet sophisticated evening wear for the modern young woman. The collection was very fluent and filled with deep reds and elegant floral patterns.

Jennifer Griffith’s collection proved that you can never go wrong with a little vintage flavor. Inspired by the 1930′s and ’40s Jennifer’s collection featured some lovely vintage fabrics. Especially this vibrant emerald green satin dress that looks straight off the set of Mad Men.

Emerald Green Satin Dress

The most fascinating collection of the night came from June Monteiro. Her collection was inspired by clothes worn by Queen Victoria and her royal

Black Silk Pouf Dress

court to mourn the death of her husband, Albert in 1861. Whoa, I guess June paid attention in history class. The designs featured subtle colors (needless to say a lot of black), natural fabrics, and simplicity. While this black silk pouf dress may have been intended for mourning, I think it would look better on the dance floor!

The last collection of the night came from Felicia Verry-Mota and did not disappoint. This collection was inspired by Japanese and French suits of armor. The idea behind the Tourney collection was to “find something feminine and soft in otherwise cold and rigid gear made for warriors.” Well, either way these girls looked fierce coming down the runway in Verry-Mota’s threads.  Take a look at this exquisite cream bubble-skirted dress.

Cream Bubble-Skirted Dress

The Rising Design Fashion Show featured some of Boston premier designers who have a lot to offer the world of fashion. If you are interested in more information about the designers or want to know where to find their designs be sure to check out Rising Designs website for more information.

Shoe Club Founder Melissa O'Shea

Founder of the Hello Stiletto Shoe Club and certified shoe addict Melissa O’Shea stopped by the Open Runway headquarters to chat about shoes and fashion.  In case you didn’t know Hello Stiletto is a free social club for people who love shoes. To calm our curiosity we asked Melissa a couple of questions about the shoe club and how it has grown to such great heights over the years.

Here’s what she had to say:

How did the Hello Stiletto Shoe Club come about?

“Back in 2000 I was living in London and traveled a lot to places in France and Italy.  I began to notice that people just loved to get dressed up and wear clothing and shoes that were unique or really made a statement. I started to do the same, investing in unique pieces

Shoe Club Member Shows Off Her Feather Heels

just because they were fun and felt good.  When I came back to the US in 2004 I realized how different it is here in Boston, in that people are far more practical.  I guess the weather plays a big role in that!  But sometimes I would feel like people were actually embarrassed to get too dressed up here, to stand out or have fun with their clothing.

So I got this idea in July of 2004 to get a couple of friends together one night to wear their craziest pair of shoes. 8 of my girlfriends met at a restaurant in Boston wearing their most extravagant pair of shoes. Once the wait staff found out what we were doing they wanted to get involved and it turned into a contest to see who had on the best pair of shoes. We had so much fun we decided to keep doing these little get-togethers. After about the third or forth meeting we had strangers showing up because people kept telling their friends. The whole thing sort of took off from there.”

Wow, what an interesting story so how many members are in the shoe club today?

“It’s hard to say exactly. If you add up the totals of our 4 largest shoe clubs (located in Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, and Dallas) we have about 8,000 active members.”

When did you realize that you were addicted to shoes?

Melissa's Zanotti Fishbone Sandals

“It was when I was 4 and taking classes at Miss Dolly’s Dance Studio. I remember Miss Dolly would always wear these silver high-heeled tap shoes with sparkles and sequins all over them. They looked hot and I remember being so jealous of her.”

How many pairs of shoes do you currently own?

“Right now I have about 200 to 220 pairs of shoes but I have to constantly clean out my closet every year to make room for new shoes.”

What are your favorite pairs?

Melissa's Manolo Leapard Print Heels

“My Giuseppe Zanotti Fishbone sandals are a favorite at the moment.

Another one of my favorites are my Manolo Blahnik Leopard Print Heels.”

Hello Stiletto Pink Carpet

Tell us a little bit about the Shoe Club events.

“We have at least one shoe club event scheduled each month. We have a pink carpet that we roll out for all the ladies (and even some guys) to show off their most fabulous shoes. Each event we have judges vote on our coveted “Best-In-Shoe” award, which goes out to the woman or man with the best shoes on that night. It’s an excuse for people to get dressed up and have fun.”

What is your fashion philosophy?

“Well I really agree with a lot of what Simon Doonan says about fashion. People should use fashion to make themselves feel good not miserable. You need to be comfortable with yourself. That’s the kind of environment we have at the Shoe Club. It’s a place where women can feel comfortable expressing themselves through fashion.”

——

We’d like to thank Melissa for stopping by Open Runway and letting us pick her brain a bit. If you have a pair of absolutely stunning heels that you are just dying to wear, be sure to check out the Hello Stiletto website to find out about upcoming events where you can show them off.

Recently  the Open Runway team went on the road for our first formal fit testing for our upcoming collection of DYO (design your own) shoes. The 200 women over at Communispace,  a community-driven marketing agency in Watertown, MA,  invited us to commandeer their cafeteria for the day and set up shop.

The event (aka The Great Shoe Try-On), took place to make sure that the shoes fit to true-to-size. Although we will be offering a full guarantee on all orders, we want to do everything possible to make sure customers are wowed in every way when they open the box of shoes that they created and that includes making sure the fit is right.

The response was outstanding; we couldn’t even unload the sample shoes before the ladies were all over them.  Like sharks with blood in the water these women were ready to attack when they saw the hot new Open Runway styles!  In fact, they spent so much time trying on shoes that productivity at Communispace actually dipped (sorry Commispace!).

Ladies of all shapes and sizes were in a shoe trying frenzy. Even the ones who didn’t have the right shoe size were trying to squeeze into the heels. We had lots of varieties to choose from including stilettos and wedges with leopard print, fishskin – all design options that shoppers can choose when designing their shoes using Open Runway’s online design studio. Our lime green wedges were definitely a crowd favorite “I’m a sucker for a nice pair of wedges, and these are so comfortable” said Charlotte Birkner, a Communispace team member.

While we were there to test the fit of the shoes, we also wanted to get some feedback on the Open Runway concept. Charlotte said “The ability to design your own shoes is great for someone like me. I have trouble finding cute shoes in my size, so the idea of being able to design your own sounds fantastic. It’s also perfect for those times when you have the perfect dress but can’t find the perfect pair of shoes to match.”

The event at Communispace reinforced that women love to express their personal sense of style. “I express myself through fashion. What I have on and how I present myself is very important to me,” said Lindsay Hutton, another Communispace team member. “That is why I really like the fact that I’ll be able to design my own shoes.”

The feedback we received was great, so thanks again to all you ladies at Communispace for taking time out of your day. Open Runway is going to be doing some more demos and focus groups. Interested in participating? Send us an email!

A guest blog post by Personal Wardrobe Stylist, Mahjuba

Revamp your black pump to a Platform pump

Fall 2010 brings us a luxe color palette on Footwear. Many designers are using muted colors of black, gray, dark blue, light purple and beige.  Exquisite trimmings on Footwear are the highlights of this season. We are seeing details such as lace up, feathers, fur trim, leopard and zebra prints.

There are 3 particular trends that I am insanely mad about.  These trends can instantly update your wardrobe essentials and help you stand out.  The first being a Flat over the knee boot. This is a great look for walking around town shopping on a casual day.  For a more fashion forward look, choose a high boot with fur trim. Last but not least, revamp your black pump to a Platform pump.

Some of the other styles seen on the runway for fall are extreme height, corrugated soles, booties, and leather and metal finishing’s.

Zebra prints are hot on the runway

Soon you will be able to design your own shoe on Open Runway. Go for trims and textures that represent your style. Choose a style that will bring your wardrobe to the next level. The best part of designing your own shoe is the individuality and thought you have put into your design. When building a shoe wardrobe I start with the classics. I then will add pieces that are right on trend and current. Building a shoe wardrobe is essential and takes time. At times choosing a fabulous stand out shoe is just as fun as choosing a fabulous piece of jewelry. It goes hand and hand.

Make the most of designing your own shoe and most of all have fun doing it.

Learn more about Personal Wardrobe and Fashion Stylist Mahjuba